Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā ***
Unexpectedly, Eren Keilos greeted her calmly.
As if he had even anticipated her rushing in with the marriage contract in hand.
“Didnāt you demand a divorce this very morning?”
The hand that had been about to bring a piece of steak to his mouth set the utensils down with a clatter.
Erenās gaze, sharp as though searching out her intent, fixed on her.
“How sudden.”
‘Respected Grand Duke. I understand. You must have been startled to hear talk of divorce during your meal.’
But the party in question was also deeply troubled at the mention of divorce.
From now on, it was no longer her will.
To lend more credibility, Liselotte put on a smile that seemed kind.
“Honestly, wasnāt it because of the monster subjugation in the eastern borderlands that you postponed our talks until after the campaign?”
For a moment, the eyes that had seemed indifferent sharpened as he met her gaze directly.
“I thought you werenāt interested.”
“I also know that it was because of that very matter that you married me.”
The Perida Empire possessed the largest territory on the continent.
So large, in fact, that people joked, “Wherever you go, you will step at least once upon the land of the Perida Empire.”
Though its territory was vast, none dared to invade.
The reason was the monsters that roamed and dwelled along the Empireās outer regions.
Encircling the land on all four sides, the monsters crossed land, sea, and air to attack humans.
Citizens of the Perida Empire living in regions beyond the Imperial power’s easy reach, learned on their own to defend against monsters. As a result, they possessed combat prowess far beyond that of people from other continents.
But a ragtag group could never be enough to face monsters.
Thus, long ago, the Perida Empire divided its territory into zones centered around the capital, with each adapted to the climate and the habits of the monsters.
In the East was the Duchy of Gloria.
In the South was the County of Setun.
In the North lay the Duchy of Keilos.
The East had developed into a fertile granary region thanks to its rich soil, while the West bordered a vast desert. The South, meanwhile, lay adjacent to an expansive sea.
And the Duchy of Keilos was, as one could seeā
‘A place where it is cold and snow falls all year round.’
Liselotte gazed behind Eren.
Beyond the window stretched the bleak, monochrome landscape of the North, unfolding like a painting.
Though all were bound under the name of the Perida Empire, each domain differed vastly in culture and background.
Thus, in the Capital as well as each territory, there existed distinct regulations regarding monster subjugations, and the Imperial power protected these rules as rights that other domains could not infringe upon.
The problem lay in these divided regulations.
Monsters did not appear as if they were bound to some designated place.
They would burst forth at will, often from the border regions.
When that happened, neighboring Houses would temporarily cooperate in subjugation, but each time, the differing rules of each territory would inevitably clash.
Of course, there was one very simple solution.
‘The heads of Houses could make their own agreements.’
Subjugations required knights and armies to cross freely between domains.
It was only natural that political or personal reasons would often cause friction.
The Imperial Family had even used this as an excuse to send Liselotte away to the North.
‘Well, if she were bound here through marriage, cooperation would inevitably become compromised.’
Just as the original Liselotte had thought, she might very well have been sold off.
Sitting there, she clenched her fist toward Eren, who simply watched her in silence.
“I know full well that youād be troubled without me. So instead of divorcing, how about ensuring a smooth subjugation with me at your side?”
“Are you saying you wish to withdraw your request for divorce?”
“Yes. Precisely.”
At present, monsters had appeared in the borderlands between the East and the North.
More than half of the northern domain consisted of snow-capped mountains and frozen lands.
Thus, the northern peopleās settlements had developed only near the eastern side ā the sole warm region.
It could practically be considered the center.
And so, in the original story, Grand Duke Keilos swiftly sent a request for cooperation.
As soon as House Gloria agreed, he was ready to form a subjugation force and march out immediately.
[In exchange for cooperation, the East demands 10,000 gold.]
It was a letter sent from House Gloria, attaching conditions to their support.
In the original story, Grand Duke Keilos also sent a courteous reply.
[The lives of imperial citizens are at stake. We hope for a smooth agreement.]
[We have already conveyed our position. If you wish for further cooperation, please follow the proper procedures under Imperial law.]
But the answer that came back was rejection.
Unlike the North, the eastern borderlands were not heavily populated.
Everywhere there was fertile land, so there was little reason to settle in the border regions.
‘No wonder only the north is in a hurry.’
It was the North that was left at a disadvantage.
Of course, it wasnāt that House Keilos couldnāt afford the 10,000 gold.
But at this point in the original story, Liselotte was clamoring for divorce, demanding not only her dowry back but also an enormous division of property as compensation for her lost honor.
Inside the House, there were protests for money over the divorce.
Outside, the East was making a fuss, demanding money in exchange for cooperation.
Under these circumstances, in the original story, Eren had no choice but to make a decision for the sake of the North.
He put off Liselotteās divorce demands and decided to pay the eastern cooperation fee instead.
Ironically, because the Ruler of the East was from the heroineās family, this became the very reason Liselotteās resentment grew, and her verbal abuse toward Eren only intensified.
‘If she wanted to curse, she shouldāve directed it eastward!’
Who knows ā maybe if sheād started cursing the East, they might have even bonded over it.
Her nape ached, but for now, postponing the divorce was more urgent.
There was no need to provoke Eren when he was already cornered.
‘If I get divorced now, Iāll be thrown out empty-handed.’
And surely it would be hard to return to the Capital, which had already discarded her by casting her off to the North.
That was why she had to endure for now in House Keilos.
If it were the original Liselotte, she wouldn’t, but now she was confident.
‘Because I donāt have even the slightest desire to be jealous of the heroine of this world.’
So she had even said herself that she wouldnāt divorce, telling him to go on the subjugation with peace of mind.
Yet for some reason, Erenās expression was strangely ambiguous.
“It sounds as if youāre telling me to use you.”
“If thatās the way of thinking that makes you more comfortable, you can put it that way.”
“Certainly, if youāre here, it would be advantageous for negotiations. After all, Lady Gloria is now engaged to His Highness the Crown Prince.”
Though she now bore the name of House Keilos, Liselotte had once been a member of the Imperial Family.
With her brother engaged to Lady Gloria, she was bound to be tied to the North whether she liked it or not.
Tap, tapāErenās index finger lightly struck the handle of his knife.
As if he had finished thinking, he gave the answer sheād been waiting for.
“If you are willing to concede, I wonāt refuse.”
“Wise of you. That was very well considered.”
He slowly rose from his seat and posed a rather sharp question.
“But didnāt you demand divorce as recently as this morning? What is your reason for suddenly withdrawing?”
‘Because just like in my past life, I refuse to die helplessly over someone elseās business.’
Above all, she wasnāt foolish enough to divorce and leave with nothing.
She had merely postponed the divorce.
At the very least, she needed to ensure she bore no fault.
Since it was a secret she couldnāt reveal outright, Liselotteās gaze drifted slowly across empty space.
‘Sudden change of heart? No, thatās too flimsy an excuse. Appeal to emotion? ā¦Would that work in this situation?’
Choosing her words with the utmost care, Liselotte tilted her head as if nothing were wrong.
“Well, I justā¦ found it not as bad as I had expectedā¦?”
“Didnāt you say you hated it here? That it was cold, that even if you held a banquet no one came, and that I was here as well.”
‘R-rightā¦ I did say thatā¦’
Suddenly flustered, she forced out a loud laugh and hastily added an excuse.
“Thinking about it, hosting banquets is exhausting anyway, and if itās cold, I can just layer up my clothes. If I go back to the Capital, all Iāll hear are people nitpicking and tearing me down again!”
“ā¦”
“So compared to that, isnāt the North better?”
For a moment, his golden eyes fixed squarely on Liselotte.
Golden eyes ā the mark of his nomadic blood.
In the original story, she had wondered why people avoided him so much, but now that she faced him directly, she understood.
There was something raw, almost beastlike about him, and at the same time he exuded a sharp, weighty aura that seemed to pierce straight through.
He was a threatening man.
She hadnāt realized it while he was seated, but from his broad shoulders to the body honed by countless subjugations, his build was far larger than she had expected.
His face, quietly handsome and well-formed, struck a balance between beauty and bold, sturdy lines.
His long, cold-angled eyes could look frightening at a glance.
With such a chilling expression, if he had been armed as well, she might not have been able to face him at all.
‘To think Liselotte once threw eggs at a man like thisā¦ she really went too far.’
As the saying goes, a puppy doesnāt know to fear the tiger.
Without a word, Eren set down his napkin with a light flick.
Whether it was because she had brought up divorce while he was eating, the meat had lost its flavor, for he didnāt take another bite after the first.
‘Tsk, was my excuse too pathetic?’
As she clicked her tongue inwardly and scrambled to think of another pretextā
Stride, stride.Ā
With upright posture, he approached and asked quietly,
“I will surely repay the concession you have given to the North.”
With those words, he left the dining room.
Click.Ā
Watching the door close, Liselotte blinked.
“Concession?”
Did he think she was saving money from the property division and sending it to the East instead?
Ridiculous.
‘Once House Keilos stabilizes and the money piles up, Iāll be taking my share in the property division.’
Therefore, the Ducal fortune was also her fortune.
There was no way she would hand over that hard-earned money to the East.
